For all one's inclination to believe that Rajasthan
is a desert, it is difficult to ignore the fact
that the region, in fact, has a varied topography,
and includes from semi-arid, desert-like conditions
to among the oldest mountains in the world,
and lush, water-filled valleys. No wonder too
that its wildlife is so rich in variety, including
from the tiger and leopard to endless varieties
of deer, rhesus monkeys, reptiles including
the python, and a profusion of bird-life that
includes water-birds.

The Thar desert, also
referred to as the Great Indian Desert, falls
for most part within the state, though parts
of it do stretch into other states such as Gujarat,
Punjab and Haryana, and this is what gives Rajasthan
its unique topographical character. Unlike the
typical desert, it does not have oasis, palms
or cactii, and is densely populated. Sand dunes
characterise it, just as much as saline depressions
and lakes. Interestingly, since legends refer
to this area as under water aeons ago, scientists
have now proved that some 25 million years ago,
this was indeed the case.

Fossils unearthed
in the Akal area point to the remains of ferns
and forests of cycades that existed some 180
million years ago, pointing to a possibly hot,
humid climate. In fact, the area has a geological
history that places it under the sea on four
different occasions, and evidence is profuse
in the wood fossil park of Akal, and in other
areas around Jaisalmer that together constitutes
the Desert National Park. Another distingushing
natural feature in Rajasthan is the Aravalli
mountain chain, often referred to as hills because
the height is rarely beyond a thousand metres.

The folds of the Aravallis were used successfully
by the Rajput princes to establish their citadels,
but the mountains are among the oldest in the
world, the result of early volcanic activities
also responsible for their mineral wealth of
copper, zinc, cobalt manganese, asbestos, soapstone,
garnet, and marble. Since the Aravallis tended
to be heavily forested, they became a natural
refuge for birds and animals. Even though human
degradation of the environment has led to deforestation,
in areas where the forests are still thick,
the reserves continue to offer sanctuary to
their original, resident and migrant species.
Two other topographical conditions typify Rajasthan.
The first is the Vindhyan or Deccan Trap where
theVindhyan hill system comes in contact with
the Aravallis, creating a 'fault' that, most
characteristically, can be detected in the Sawai
Madhopur area with its Ranthambhor National
Park.

The Vindhyan hills consist mostly of sandstone
that, even though it may occasionally vary in
colour, has resulted in the byilding materials
for many of the state's forts and palaces. The
resulting topography is a landscape consisting
of hard-topped plateaus made from tough, compact
rocks. It is the creation of the 'fault' where
the tow mountain chains meet that the mixed
topography provides the ideal shelter for the
tiger and its various prey species. Large, shallow
lakes have also resulted, so that crocodiles
are not unusual in the desert state either.
A last, distinguishing feature are the wetlands
of the Indo-Gangetic plains, such as in the
regions around Mathura and Agra, close to which
Bharatpur is located. Excess water in the monsoons
causes vast areas to be flooded, simply because
the rivers cease to flow when they overflow
their banks, instead of which they simply spread
out and inundate the flat terrains around like
a vast sea.

Part of this topography is shared
by the Bharatpur wetlands as a result of the
Jamuna that passes close by, and the other part
by the Chambal which, as a tributary of the
Jamuna, originates in the Vindhyas in Madhya
Pradesh and skirts through its ravines to form
Rajasthan's eastern boundary with that state.
This may occasionally result in marshy eco-systems
ideal for sustaining a variety of birdlife in
these aquatic habitats.